Low alk, pulling my hair out

[blasterman]

You don't need to test for mag . You dont need to test for calcium. Neither will be consumed without a lot of stony corals in the tank, which you don't have.

I guarantee your calcium and mag levels will be the same as fresh salt mix you are using if you are doing occasional water changes.

To you guys telling him to use a two part where exactly is his calcium going? Fish absorbing it? Invisible acropora colony with a stealth field? Have a bet going how many reefers you can get to drive their calcium through the roof? Good grief...

Alk is diving because its consumed by growing bacteria or algae outbreaks. And they can chew it up fast. Box of baking soda, some measuring spoons and the online reef calculator will fix this for a couple bucks. Just calculate how much baking is needed and put it in the tank. You dont need a stupid two part. Yeah...its that easy. Alk fixed.

Can't tell from the pic if it's some type of cyano or dino outbreak. Its not hair algae. Ive seen diatoms get pretty thick if you get lazy and use tap water full of silicate, but they tend to coat the glass and substrate.

Easiest way to raise nitrate is get a bag of sodium nitrate from Amazon for $10. Half a teaspoon should put that tank around 20ppm.

 

[Radiolotek]

You have low nutrients because all that algae is consuming it. Deal with the algae first. I'd probably just rip clean this tank in a few hours and be done.

Unfortunately everything is about 1/2" long and fuzzy so it would have to be brushed off everything. I don't want to cause a spike or crash by doing it all at once. I might do a section at a time with water changes. I was doing that but it was coming right back within the week.

 

[Radiolotek]

You don't need to test for mag . You dont need to test for calcium. Neither will be consumed without a lot of stony corals in the tank, which you don't have.

I guarantee your calcium and mag levels will be the same as fresh salt mix you are using if you are doing occasional water changes.

To you guys telling him to use a two part where exactly is his calcium going? Fish absorbing it? Invisible acropora colony with a stealth field? Have a bet going how many reefers you can get to drive their calcium through the roof? Good grief...

Alk is diving because its consumed by growing bacteria or algae outbreaks. And they can chew it up fast. Box of baking soda, some measuring spoons and the online reef calculator will fix this for a couple bucks. Just calculate how much baking is needed and put it in the tank. You dont need a stupid two part. Yeah...its that easy. Alk fixed.

Can't tell from the pic if it's some type of cyano or dino outbreak. Its not hair algae. Ive seen diatoms get pretty thick if you get lazy and use tap water full of silicate, but they tend to coat the glass and substrate.

Easiest way to raise nitrate is get a bag of sodium nitrate from Amazon for $10. Half a teaspoon should put that tank around 20ppm.

Thank you. I was questioning the 2 part since calcium was pretty good. It never has dipped below like 445.

I'll look at the calculator and give that a shot with baking soda. I have soda ash that someone gave me but I'm not sure I need the extra pH before getting the alk set right.?

That's why I was saying hair like but not hair algae. It's weird. Someone suggested chrysophytes which almost sounds right since it did start as a golden fuzz.

I am using ro/di water for salt mix and top off.

I'll start brushing it away with water changes as I'm doing my adjustments.

Should I still use the neonitro since I have it for the nitrates or switch to the sodium nitrate?

Thank you again.

 

[Radiolotek]

You don't need to test for mag . You dont need to test for calcium. Neither will be consumed without a lot of stony corals in the tank, which you don't have.

I guarantee your calcium and mag levels will be the same as fresh salt mix you are using if you are doing occasional water changes.

To you guys telling him to use a two part where exactly is his calcium going? Fish absorbing it? Invisible acropora colony with a stealth field? Have a bet going how many reefers you can get to drive their calcium through the roof? Good grief...

Alk is diving because its consumed by growing bacteria or algae outbreaks. And they can chew it up fast. Box of baking soda, some measuring spoons and the online reef calculator will fix this for a couple bucks. Just calculate how much baking is needed and put it in the tank. You dont need a stupid two part. Yeah...its that easy. Alk fixed.

Can't tell from the pic if it's some type of cyano or dino outbreak. Its not hair algae. Ive seen diatoms get pretty thick if you get lazy and use tap water full of silicate, but they tend to coat the glass and substrate.

Easiest way to raise nitrate is get a bag of sodium nitrate from Amazon for $10. Half a teaspoon should put that tank around 20ppm.

Oh, I also have a thing of reef builder that's supposed to be for raising alk without raising ph that was given to me too. Still suggest the baking soda instead?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You don't need to test for mag . You dont need to test for calcium. Neither will be consumed without a lot of stony corals in the tank, which you don't have.

I guarantee your calcium and mag levels will be the same as fresh salt mix you are using if you are doing occasional water changes.

To you guys telling him to use a two part where exactly is his calcium going? Fish absorbing it? Invisible acropora colony with a stealth field? Have a bet going how many reefers you can get to drive their calcium through the roof? Good grief...

Alk is diving because its consumed by growing bacteria or algae outbreaks. And they can chew it up fast. Box of baking soda, some measuring spoons and the online reef calculator will fix this for a couple bucks. Just calculate how much baking is needed and put it in the tank. You dont need a stupid two part. Yeah...its that easy. Alk fixed.

Can't tell from the pic if it's some type of cyano or dino outbreak. Its not hair algae. Ive seen diatoms get pretty thick if you get lazy and use tap water full of silicate, but they tend to coat the glass and substrate.

Easiest way to raise nitrate is get a bag of sodium nitrate from Amazon for $10. Half a teaspoon should put that tank around 20ppm.

I agree there's no point in testing magnesium, but to answer your specific question:

It is very common to have abiotic precipitation in a new tank with raw sand and rock. That can drop calcium and alk a lot, although I see no reason to think that is happening here.

Your opinion on algae and bacteria consuming alkalinity is wrong. It does not. I'm not sure where you ever got that idea.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Oh, I also have a thing of reef builder that's supposed to be for raising alk without raising ph that was given to me too. Still suggest the baking soda instead?

Baking soda is perfectly fine. The Reef Builder is OK if you already have it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you. I was questioning the 2 part since calcium was pretty good. It never has dipped below like 445.

I'll look at the calculator and give that a shot with baking soda. I have soda ash that someone gave me but I'm not sure I need the extra pH before getting the alk set right.?

That's why I was saying hair like but not hair algae. It's weird. Someone suggested chrysophytes which almost sounds right since it did start as a golden fuzz.

I am using ro/di water for salt mix and top off.

I'll start brushing it away with water changes as I'm doing my adjustments.

Should I still use the neonitro since I have it for the nitrates or switch to the sodium nitrate?

Thank you again.

People misunderstand two parts.

If you boost alk by 1 dKH, you will hardly notice the tiny calcium boost from equal parts dosing.

My recommendation is to simplify life and always use equal parts dosing unless calcium is already too high.

Two part systems were specifically invented just to avoid this sort of jiggering up and down of calcium that leads to a roller coaster of parameters. A reefer waits and waits to see a substantial drop in calcium, then all of a sudden realizes he needs to dose a lot to correct.

 

[saltybees]

You don't need to test for mag . You dont need to test for calcium. Neither will be consumed without a lot of stony corals in the tank, which you don't have.

I guarantee your calcium and mag levels will be the same as fresh salt mix you are using if you are doing occasional water changes.

To you guys telling him to use a two part where exactly is his calcium going? Fish absorbing it? Invisible acropora colony with a stealth field? Have a bet going how many reefers you can get to drive their calcium through the roof? Good grief...

Alk is diving because its consumed by growing bacteria or algae outbreaks. And they can chew it up fast. Box of baking soda, some measuring spoons and the online reef calculator will fix this for a couple bucks. Just calculate how much baking is needed and put it in the tank. You dont need a stupid two part. Yeah...its that easy. Alk fixed.

Can't tell from the pic if it's some type of cyano or dino outbreak. Its not hair algae. Ive seen diatoms get pretty thick if you get lazy and use tap water full of silicate, but they tend to coat the glass and substrate.

Easiest way to raise nitrate is get a bag of sodium nitrate from Amazon for $10. Half a teaspoon should put that tank around 20ppm.

No need for uneducated sarcastic retorts, trying to help the guy sort out his params.. I posted info regarding 2 part for him to learn about it, one way or another he needs to dose something to raise his alk.

 

[Spieg]

To you guys telling him to use a two part where exactly is his calcium going?

Maybe Coralline Algae?

 

[scardall]

Oh, I also have a thing of reef builder that's supposed to be for raising alk without raising ph that was given to me too. Still suggest the baking soda instead?

I agree adding calcium would not be needed. Mag does affect alk. in an established tank. 6+ months old. (it is good to know mag. for a baseline anyway) here's a link that will help. element calculator Note: mag would only be an issue if below 1100ppm. question: does your pic show coraline on that rock? coraline will not grow if alk is below 8dkh. also once you start dosing (using soda ash liquid) you must test daily and keep a log book of how much used and you dkh before dose only.

 

[Radiolotek]

I agree adding calcium would not be needed. Mag does affect alk. in an established tank. 6+ months old. (it is good to know mag. for a baseline anyway) here's a link that will help. element calculator Note: mag would only be an issue if below 1100ppm. question: does your pic show coraline on that rock? coraline will not grow if alk is below 8dkh. also once you start dosing (using soda ash liquid) you must test daily and keep a log book of how much used and you dkh before dose only.

No Coraline growth at all in the tank yet. I'll start dosing slow and testing.